Free agency isn’t even underway, but the Washington Commanders are already making moves, signing two defensive linemen to new deals, including a Super Bowl winner whose immediate future will now involve being a potential asset in the schemes of new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Versatile defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. “reached agreement today on a one-year extension that will prevent him from entering free agency, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reporting on Wednesday, March 4.
Re-signing Wise, who lifted the Lombardi Trophy with the 2018 New England Patriots, makes sense, despite the 31-year-old losing almost all of the 2025 NFL season to a torn quad. The injury robbed the Commanders of a trench warrior who was supposed to fortify a soft run defense, a role Wise will still be expected to perform once he’s healthy this year.
Beef and depth up front will be keys to the Commanders getting tougher against the run, so it’s hardly surprising the team also secured an extension with defensive tackle Shy Tuttle. Schefter reported former Tennessee Titans D-tackle Tuttle “reached agreement today on a one-year extension that will prevent him from hitting the free agent market next week, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln.”
Tuttle and Wise inking fresh terms are the first moves toward a necessary overhaul of Washington’s defensive front this offseason. A process that must bring in some elite talent for the position group, particularly at the edges.
Deatrich Wise Jr. Still a Key Figure
The Commanders envisioned Wise being a big-bodied defensive end to set the edge against the run in 2025. Unfortunately, the plan ended ahead of schedule when injury struck during defeat to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, but the Wise strategy still applies this year, particularly thanks to his experience and versatility.
Wise played end in the 3-4 fronts the Patriots used to run, so his 6-foot-5, 280-pound frame will fit the new defense implemented by Jones. The latter learned a three-man front of sorts from former Pats assistant Brian Flores with the Minnesota Vikings.
Flores also taught Jones a fiendish mix of elaborate blitzing and disguised coverage. The multi-layered pressure concepts called for variety up front, something Wise offers thanks to the ability to slide inside to tackle in passing situations.
Perhaps he’ll just be a rotational piece, but Wise still looks like a key figure for the direction the Commanders are going in defensively. A direction that needs to be underpinned by size in the middle.
Shy Tuttle a Useful Body for Commanders’ Rotation
Tuttle’s 300 pounds of mass give the Commanders some size in the middle, a crucial tenant of any three-man defensive line. While the player claimed on waivers from the Titans last December may look like nothing more than a camp body now, Tuttle could force his way into a more valuable position.
His value will increase if the Commanders opt against bringing back free agent nose tackles Eddie Goldman Jr. and Sheldon Day. Goldman is the classic space-eater over the ball every 3-4 front needs, so the 320-pounder would be missed.
The picture is changing for Washington’s defensive line, and further changes can’t be ruled out when edge players Von Miller, Jalyn Holmes and Drake Jackson are also free agents. It’s the ideal time for a splash move in free agency or the 2026 NFL draft to supplement these smart, early depth signings.
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